Maeie demme



(No Model.)

M. DEMME.

THIMBLE. No. 297,355 Patented Apr. 22, 1884.

mix;

UNITED STATES MARIE DEMME, OF Ml lHLHAUSEN, GERMANY.

THIMBLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 297,355, dated April 22, 1884-.-

Application filed October 12, 1883. (N0 model.) Patented in Germany April 21, 1883, No. 25,669; in Belgium September 29, 1883, No. 62,742,- in England September 29, 1683, No. 4,639, and in Italy September 30, 1883, XXXI, 44D, XVII, 15,951.

To all whom it may concern Be itknown that I, MARIE DEMME. a subject of the King of Prussia, residing at Miihlhausen, Thuringia,German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Imp rovementsin Thimbles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the construction of rings or thimbles for use by tailors, seamstresses, and others in the op oration of sewing; and it consists, broadly. in lining said thimble with a-non-oxidizable,fiexible, or'elastic substance or material, such as rubber or other analogous material.

The thimbles, rings. or hollow frustums of a cone usually employed by tailors, seam stresses, .and others for forcing the needle through the fabric in the operation of sewing are generally made of metal, and in most cases of iron, steel, or brass, and these have in some instances been lined with lead. Thimbles of this class will, by prolonged use, hurt the finger upon which they are worn, notwithstanding the fact that such thimble may fit the finger accurately, and if the thimble is too small the pain is correspondingly greater. On the other hand, if the thimble is in the least too large, it does not hold on the finger, and the operation of sewing becomes tedious. Thimbles lined with lead will blacken the fingers, as well as those of iron or steel, while brass thimbles will color the fingers green. This is due to the oxidationof the metals, and has even resulted in inflammation and in blood-poisoning in cases where the thimble was applied to a wounded finger.

The object of this invention is to obviate these evil effects by lining the thimble or other analogous implement with an elastic material, preferably rubber, which lining may also be extended over the edge or edges of the said implement and caused to adhere to the metal by means of an adhesive substance, or by vulcanization of the rubber. Implements of this class, lined as described, do not hurt the finger, nor soil it, and there is no danger of injury to a wounded finger from the oxidation of the metal.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown the two forms of thiinbles more generally employed.

Figures 1 and 2 are elevations, and Figs. 3

and 4. vertical transverse sections, thereof. A indicates the thimble, and Bits rubber lining. ltis evidentthat when a thimble lined with rubber is applied to the finger the lining will yield and adapt itself closely to the form of the finger, and when removed from the lat ter said lining will, owing to its elasticity, resume its normal form, and for this reason I prefer the use of rubber as a lining.

What I claim is A thimble lined with an elastic materiahsuch as rubber, as described, for the purpose specified.

- In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARIE DEMME.

Witnesses A. DEMELIUS, B. ROI. 

